Golden Valley will not narrow streets

Could narrowing the streets lessen truck traffic?

Golden Valley city staff created a feasibility report for the Zane Avenue and Lindsay Street Reconstruction Project that included a narrowing of the streets. The hope is that it would calm traffic and discourage truck from traveling along the streets.

But, Mayor Roslyn Harmon, who described Zane as “very industrial with large semi trucks,” asked if staff would consider 32 feet instead.

Kakach said 30 feet is in line with state aid requirements.

In a roll call vote, Harmon voted against the project. Council Members Sophia Ginis, Maurice Harris and Gillian Rosenquist voted yes. Council Member Denise La Mere-Anderson removed herself from the room due to a conflict of interest.

“I live on Lindsay Street,” La Mere-Anderson explained, “Not only do I live on Lindsay Street, I also am a landlord on Lindsay Street.”

For this particular vote, at least 80% was needed. As La Mere-Anderson had stepped out, four of four votes would be required to approve the project. Harmon’s no vote stopped the project.

Currently, the streets in question are 40 feet wide. The project would narrow the streets to 26 feet wide on the eastern part of Lindsay Street as well as 30 feet wide on the western part of Lindsay Street and all of Zane Avenue. The city also suggested no parking on the 30-foot sections.

At a public hearing, Assistant City Engineer RJ Kakach said bids would have gone out in April and construction could be finished by the summer of 2025.

“Narrowing the street will be more of a physical barrier for trucks to make that turn. It’s gonna be difficult to make that turn,” Kakach said. “That section of Lindsay would not be built for truck traffic, so we would be trying harder to keep trucks off of it.”

The estimated total project cost was $10,050,000. This included street rehabilitation, sidewalk construction and construction relating to the sewer and water main as well as indirect project costs like project design, construction observation administration and legal expenses.

Buildings in the path of this project would have to pay a preliminary special assessment rate of $11,300 per residential unit and $160 per linear foot for commercial and industrial properties.

Although La Mere-Anderson removed herself from the room, her spouse Randy Anderson spoke at the public hearing.

Anderson spoke about the history of street widths, noting that the city had recently changed their recommended widths from 28 to 26 feet. Anderson asked that the city reconsider their plans because semi trucks use that route and will not be deterred by a sign asking drivers to avoid the street.

“Lindsay Street may be one of the most unique streets in Golden Valley regarding type of traffic,” Anderson said. “On the west end, there are three commercial properties which must use Lindsay Street for semi trucks entering and/or exiting to load and unload. On the east end of Lindsay Street is Highway 100. And although there is no longer an entrance or exit on or off that highway, a significant percentage of semi traffic use the Duluth Street entrance/exit and then make their way down Lilac Drive and then onto Lindsay Street and vice versa.”

Anderson added that Google Maps often tells people to go through Lindsay Street.

Lindsay Street used to connect to Highway 100 and was considered a state aid route. Today, Kakach explained that it is considered a local street.

“The goal here would be to force or push the business traffic to Zane,” Kakach said.

Kakach added they could work with Google to submit rerouting away from Lindsay.

Two others spoke at the hearing. One resident said he and his spouse were old and did not want to pay for the assessment. Another resident asked if duplexes counted as one or two units — the city said duplexes were two units.